Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Reveals What ‘Brought Me Closer’ to God
By Movieguide® Contributor
Baltimore Orioles left-handed pitcher John Means joined the “Sports Spectrum” podcast to discuss his faith journey and where he is now in his relationship with Christ.
“It’s been a pretty up-and-down journey throughout life,” he began. “Honestly, when you texted me to come on the show, I thought about it for a few days. I was like, ‘Am I strong enough to be able to go on this show?’ And that sort of thing. And I think that’s a lot of people’s journey. You have your times where you’re struggling with it and your times when you’re thriving.”
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After he went through the motions of faith as a teenager and young adult, Means decided to “dive into” it when he attended the minor leagues.
For the athlete, doing intense research and asking hard questions strengthened his faith.
“I’m a very black and white person,” Means said. “I need to feel it, smell it, taste it, you know? So, I went out searching for the answer. What is the answer? What is the after-life like? Looking up the Big Bang Theory. Honestly, all of that research and diving in just brought me closer [to God].”
He was drafted in the 11th round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles organization.
In 2018, he made his first MLB debut against the Red Sox.
“In 2021, Means was selected to be Baltimore’s opening day starting pitcher. On May 5, 2021, he threw a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners, striking out 12 while facing the minimum of 27 batters. In 2022, Means only pitched two games before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He returned late in 2023 to help the Orioles reach the postseason and win the AL East,” Sports Spectrum reported of Means.
“He’s done some great things in this league and made an All-Star Game,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “We’ve missed him and to have him back is going to be huge.”
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